The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-01-14
DEATH ON THE RAIL.


Injuries IN - u11<1Woro = Ootos oo4
one killed and several Injursd
% AlttlneauSae. Mass-
Tlrrix. O.. Ja=. 6-An cast-bounl
running on IN up grade nine miles east Of
here. and within half = milo o. the village
Of Republic. gave out and was unable %
make the grade. Tho conductor ran for
ward with signal 20 flag the fast train,
No. 8 but Il was too late. the train was
lees than quarter Of mile distant, run
ming II the rate Of sixty-thrcc miles per
hour. and il crashed into tho freight,
wrccking both engines and the baggage.
express. smoking and one passenger car
Of tho passenger train
Within an almost incredible short space
Of time the wreck was In flames and the
injured passengers were beng burned.
The passengers In the two slccpcrs and
one coach escaped, numbering about fifty.
Nineteen passengers In the smoker were
all killed. One Irish emigrant alone e.
capped from the smokcr. but afterwards
died OF his wounds. He did not give his
name.
The engineer Of tho passenger jumped
and escaped with dislosated knee. The
fireman was pinned between the beams.
crushing his hips He lived three hours
in that position and then died Nine
charred and blackcned bodies with the
limbs burned away were removed and laid
on the floor Of the undertaker's room. The
sight was horrible one. and there was no
resemblance TO human bodies in the re-
mains. At least ten moro are supposed 70
have persisted and been entirely burned
up. There is nothing but the bodies which
can help 10 identify them.
Among those identified are:
Jos. Postlewaite, aged fifty-sevcn years.
and his two sons, Spencer and Henry, aged
eighteen and eleven respectively He
was from New Martinsville. w. Va. and
was accompanied by his wife and three
other small children. the four latter being
saved. They were on their way 20
Chillicothe. Mo, TO make that their home.
c. r. Bradley. Of One Hundred and
Twelfth street, d. c., prominent knight
Of Labor, on his way west 70 lecture, was
held By the feet in the car, his body pro
truding from the window. II was impos-
sible to extricate him and he burned 70
death BY inches. He gave his watch and
papers into the safe keeping Of others.
A Mr. Smith, Of Bcnwood. w. Va. was
in the car next TO the smoker, and was un-
hurt. He says the shock was not very
great one. He was thrown from his seat
and thought the train had left the track.
Nobody was very seriously hurt IN his
/ coach beyond bruises, cuts and burns
, Physicians were summoned from this
city and Republic, and rendered efficient
service 70 the wounded. About dozen
persons were wounded, in addition 70
those killed, not mentioned above.
Prominent railway officials were pres
emit investigating the matter. II Is impos
sible to tell now who was to blame, but u
Is learned that the engineer, fireman and
the whole crew OF the freight train were
drunk and neglectful Of duty. The coro-
ner OF the county will make q full invcsti-
CATION The wounded were all hustled
out Of the county a. quickly rs possible BY
/ the railroad officials.
I The accident il charged to the conductor
and engineer Of the freight train. They
pulled out OF Republic when they should
have remained there They claimed they
had thirty-five minutes to make the run
Of four miles aud : quarter, which re-
quired only eighteen minutes.
The MrrrIxEArQrE DISASTER.
sPRrxcrrKLD. Mass, Jan. 4.-Mittin-
eauque station was the scene Of fright
full accident early this morning The Mo-
doc train from Albany approached tho de-
pot one hour behind time and running
about thirty five miles an hour, and when
within few rods Of the station Ave Of the
six cars left tho track from some cause
not definitely learned, but thought 70 be .
broken journal The train consisted Of
Engine No. 9. express, baggage, smoking
cars, one day coach and two sleepers. The
engine and express car kept on the main
track and the baggage car was
thrown against the engine q the local
west-bound freight, which had just pulled
main track The freight engine was
thrown on its side and completely
wrecked. Tho baggage and smoker and
one day coach Immediately took IRE and
were consumed, except the bodies and
trucks. The head Of the first sleeping car
was charrcd, but not otherwise damaged
LIST or THE INJURED.
Charles B. Packard, westfeld, printer
son OF DR.. Packard, Of Wcstneld: injured
In loin and other severe internal injuries
also bed scalp wound. 1t il feared he viii
not recover.
Francis Thompson, recently Of tho United
States Life Saving station q Campbell
near San Francisco, cut and burned abou
the hip and legs.
John Landers, West Springfield, fireman
Of the local freight; badly gashed abou
the head al face.
Mr.. and Mrs. Z. 3. Whitford, Providence
r. l.; thrown from seat and bruised. Mr.
Whitford was badly cut under the lowe
jaw.
Lester L worden, Springfield; cut O
leg.